Skiplagging: the only topic we’ll discuss here at Dollar Flight Club that might get you banned from an airline.
While controversial (we’ll discuss why soon), skiplagging, or, hidden city ticketing, is a fascinating hack to save big on flights all over the world.
Skiplagging is not illegal, but it’s highly condemned by most major airlines. As you saw in the link above, some passengers have been temporarily or even permanently banned from airlines because of skiplagging!
This article is your guide to skiplagging. We’ll answer questions like, “What is skiplagging?”, “Can I do skiplagging with a checked bag?”, as well as dive into the pros, cons, risks, tips, and tricks.
What is skiplagging?
Before we can dive into questions like “Can I do skiplagging with a checked bag?” we first need to break down this cheap flights hack.
Skiplagging is when you book a flight and choose not to continue on to the final destination. This sounds bizarre, but people do it to save hundreds on airline tickets.
Airline pricing is an incredibly complex topic that most do not understand. Cheap flight junkies discovered one bizarre quirk in the way airlines price flights.
Let’s say you want to fly from Fort Wayne, IN to Charlotte, NC one way. The cost on January 23, 2025 is $468 for a nonstop flight on American Airlines.
If you search Fort Wayne to New York City one way on the same day, the price is $200.
Here’s the crazy part.
That $200 flight to New York City? It’s on American Airlines and connects through Charlotte. It’s the exact same flight as the one that costs $468 if you end in Charlotte.
Cheap flight lovers noticed this a long time ago and thought, “If I need to go to Charlotte, why I don’t I just book the flight to New York, save $268, and not get on my connecting flight to New York?”
This is skiplagging. You skip a leg in your itinerary purposefully to save money.
How does skiplagging work?
This practice is 100 percent legitimate and legal, but it’s highly discouraged by airlines. All you’re doing is taking advantage of how they price their flights.
Why would you pay $468 to go to Charlotte when, if you simply change your final destination to NYC, you can save $268 and be on the same exact flight to Charlotte?
This pricing phenomenon is caused by supply and demand. For the Fort Wayne flight to Charlotte, supply is low and demand is high (it’s one of FWA’s few flights to major airline hubs).
In contrast, NYC flights have enormous supply and slightly lower demand due to the large supply. Thus, prices are lower.
It can be cheaper to fly from LAX to NYC than it is to fly from LAX to small regional airports like Monterey (MRY) not far away.
When you understand airline pricing, you understand how powerful a strategy skiplagging can be!
Skiplagging for business class flights
Let’s look at another, more dramatic example of how skiplagging can save you thousands of dollars on business class flights.
Here’s a one-way business class flight from Chicago to Tokyo on Japan Airlines:
The price is $6,606.
Now, if we search flights from Chicago to Hong Kong, we see flights are significantly cheaper:
If you look closely, you’ll see that you’re able to fly on the exact same Japan Airlines flight for a fraction of the price (if you don’t continue on to Hong Kong)!
It’s $3,809 instead of $6,606.
This is the power of skiplagging…
Business class flights are extremely expensive, this could be a great way for you to save money flying in comfort.
Is skiplagging too good to be true?
There are some major downsides to skiplagging.
- It’s discouraged by the airlines and you risk penalties, ticket cancellations, banning from frequent flyer programs, and more.
- When the airlines see what you’re doing, they’ll cancel the rest of your itinerary (including return flights).
- You can’t book roundtrip flights.
- And as far as answering, “Can I do skiplagging with a checked bag?” that’s a major downside we’ll cover next.
Like any “travel hack,” there are many factors to consider before executing. However, if you do it correctly, skiplagging can save you a lot of money.
Can I do skiplagging with a checked bag?
“Can I do skiplagging with a checked bag?” is a question many travelers ask when considering hidden city ticketing.
The short answer is that it can be tricky. When you book a flight using skiplagging, you’re essentially booking a ticket with a layover at your intended destination, and then skipping the final leg of the journey.
However, the main issue is that checked bags are typically routed to the final destination listed on your ticket.
So, can I do skiplagging with a checked bag? Not easily. If you have a checked bag, the airline will send it to your final destination, which could leave you without it when you disembark at your layover. The airline might not allow you to retrieve your checked bag at your layover airport, which can be a significant inconvenience.
In addition, if you do skiplagging with a checked bag, there’s a risk of losing your luggage, as it might be sent to your final destination even though you’re not there.
It also poses the potential for penalties from the airline, such as charging you for the full ticket or canceling your return flights.
So, if you’re asking, can I do skiplagging with a checked bag, it’s best to rethink your approach. Traveling with a carry-on only makes it easier to skip a leg without worrying about your luggage, as it stays with you throughout the journey.
How do I find skiplagging deals?
Most of these deals will show up when your desired destination is a major airline hub. If you’re looking to fly into a small regional airport, the chances of you finding a deal using this method is significantly lower.
The best website to help you find deals is Skiplagged.com. You can put in your home airport, dates, and your destination (or you can leave it open-ended).
Going back to our Fort Wayne to Charlotte example from earlier, I ran this search:
Skiplagged is finding us $226 off normal flight prices by purchasing skiplagged tickets!
Used correctly, this site and strategy can be powerful tools.
While Skiplagged.com is a great tool, you can easily find deals like this on your own in Google Flights. Next time you’re looking at flights to a hub airport, plug in some smaller regional airports nearby and larger hub airports within a few hundred miles to see if you can save money by skiplagging.
How to skiplag like a pro
- “Can I do skiplagging with a checked bag?” you ask? No. So hack number one is simple: Don’t check a bag. Don’t even risk a carry-on, just bring a backpack.
- Don’t put in your frequent flyer number—you want to stay under the radar.
- Don’t do it all the time on the same airline as they may catch you.
- Book two one-way flights, never roundtrip.
- Make sure you have all the documentation necessary for your final (ticketed) destination.
You’re taking on risk when you do this, but it could save you a lot of money!
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